Costume for Black Panther worn by Chadwick Boseman: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Costume for the character Black Panther worn by Chadwick Boseman in the Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther movies. The costume includes five (5) parts- a bodysuit (.1abc), helmet (.2), hood (.3), two gloves (.4ab), and two boots (.5ab). The costume is black and dark grey, with silver markings and geometric designs imprinted in dot, triangle, and diamond motifs throughout. It is mounted on a form and stand.

.1: The bodysuit consists of a sleeveless farmer john style jumpsuit with full legs (a), a leotard-style bodysuit with three-quarter sleeves that fits under the jumpsuit and attaches with Velcro (b), and a muscle under suit (c).

(a)The sleeveless bodysuit with full legs is black with a textured, cross-hatched design, divided into seamed sections. Around the neckline is a silver stylized panther claw necklace with eleven claws, the points facing downwards. Each of the six claws has an indented geometric design with a raised, thin line going down the center of each claw. At the back of the necklace is a silver downward facing triangle. The collar of the bodysuit is attached to the front and secures on the back with Velcro. Underneath the necklace is a dark grey, triangular piece of material with an indented diamond and triangle geometric motif at the front and at the back, the same material cut in eight diamond pieces arranged in two vertical lines down the shoulder blades. The imprinted dark grey material is also applied in bands forming a “V” pattern down the chest and back, wrapping around the hips, and forming an inverted “V” pattern down the legs and arms, and a diamond pattern at the shoulders. There are small silver pieces set around the hips. The legs have stirrups to secure to the feet. On the interior, there is a metal wire set at chest height from side to side and covered with black petersham ribbon. The ribbon extends fully around the chest and secures at center back with Velcro. This wire can attach to a hook on the muscle suit at center front. There are 2 invisible zippers set in seams at the crotch.

(b)Leotard-style bodysuit with three-quarter sleeves. The decorated fabric is used for the sleeves and upper portion of the garment; a stretch black net is used for the rest of the body, and plain black jersey is used where the sleeves are covered by the gloves. The leotard closes at center back with a large zipper. There is an elastic strap attached to the bottom front on the leotard. This strap passes between the legs and is secured at the base of the zipper with 2 metal hooks and bars. Also on the back of the leotard are Velcro pieces that attach to Velcro on the bodysuit with full legs.

.2: The helmet is black and in the form of a stylized panther head with pointed ears at the top, silver markings and bands of geometric designs in diamonds, triangles, and dots. It is constructed in a single piece, with magnets used to hold the sides in place.

A vertical silver line runs down the center of the top of the helmet to the forehead. Two sets of silver lines run from the back of the head to the bridge of the nose, and out above the eyes with another silver line running from the outside corner of each eye, across the nose. The eyes are silver, almond-shaped, and have a metal mesh-like appearance. There is an intricate and symmetrical diamond design at the center of the forehead and along the silver markings, which continues down the bridge of the nose. In between the two sets of silver lines is a repeating pattern of alternating triangles. Another set of silver lines run from around the ears, across the cheekbones, and down at the sides of the mouth and chin. A vertical band of dots runs from the tip of the nose to the bottom of the chin, with lines of dots forming an alternating triangle patter on either side of the chin.

At the top, the ears are outlined in silver and feature textured lines in triangle patterns in the front and outside, with a diamond design on the ridge and a smooth back interior. Under the ears and down to the temples are imprinted lines and dots forming an alternating triangle pattern. Every other alternating line has small square shaped cut outs in a repeating pattern.

The back of the helmet has two sets of black lines with dots and triangle markings that form a “V” pattern at the center, with more lines in a geometric triangle motif between the two “V” lines.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2016
• Produced by: Marvel Worldwide, Inc., American, founded 1939
• Worn by: Chadwick Boseman, American, 1977 - 2020
• Created by: Andy Park, American, born 1975
• Designed by: Judianna Makovsky, American, born 1967
• Type: costume
• Type: helmets
• Type: gloves
• Type: boots
• Type: bodysuits
• Medium: Skin suit, gloves, and boots: synthetic fiber, Velcro (TM), and metal;
• Medium: Muscle Suit: spandex, Lycra, polyester, and latex;
• Medium: Helmet: urethane elastomer, plastic, and magnets
• Dimensions: H x W (Full Costume Measurements): 75 × 23 in. (190.5 × 58.4 cm)
• Cultural Place: Africa
• Place made: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Comics and graphic novels
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Design
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Hollywood (Film)
• Object number: 2018.39.1.1abc-.5ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Marvel Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.